Rotatable catch

ABSTRACT

The invention makes it possible to reduce the number of parts required for the production of a rotatable catch in which no pivot is provided. A rotatable catch according to the invention comprises at least two semi-circular bolts each carrying at least two semi-circular orthogonal beads and two keeper housings receiving said bolts. It may be used for the closure of boxes, casings, doors, etc., and generally for the locking together of all parts coupled together or in contact side by side.

United States Patent 1191 593,002 10/1947 Great Britain 292/190 Liber-May 28, 1974 ROTATABLE CATCH Primar ExaminerRobert L. Wolfe 7 1 1 L b IY V l 5] Mlchel I er Pans France Attorney, Agent, or FirmKarl W. Flocks[73] Assignee: Seilib, Paris, France 1 [22] Filed: June 27, 1972 [21]Appl. N0.: 266,733 [57] ABSTRACT [52] U S Cl 7 2912/54 292/190 292/300The invention makes it possible to reduce the number [51] Eosc 3/04 EOSC7/04 .of parts required for the production of a rotatable [58] Field I546 202 204 catch in which no pivot is provided. A rotatable catch I'according to the invention comprises at least two semi-circular boltseach carrying at least two semi- [56] References Cited circularorthogonal beads and two keeper housings receiving said bolts. It may beused for the closure of UNITED STATES PATENTS boxes, casings, doors,etc., and generally for the lock- El 'y 5/9 ing together of all partscoupled together or in contact ouse l,l8l,050 4/I9l6 Woodfine 1. 292 190Me by v FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS I 2 Claims, 7 i FiguresPATENIEmmza lam SHEET 3 [If ,3

FIGS,

1 ROTATABLE CATCH The present invention has for its object a rotatablecatch permitting two members coming into contact to be immobilized withrespect to each other. I

The flat catch-bolt is already known, in which a toothed rack andapinion convert the rotation of the operating knob to ato-and-fromovement of the bolt or latch in its keepenAcatchof this type thuscomprises a number of parts and must essentially comprise a pivot aboutwhich the pinion rotates.

The catch according tothe invention makes it possible to reduce thenumber'of partsrequired for its production and in which no pivot isprovided.

It is characterized in that it comprises at least one semi-circular boltcarrying at least two semi-circular orthogonal beads, one at. the" edgeof the halfcircumference, andthe other. laterally, so that the said boltis held imprisoned with a single degree of freedom in a housing ofcorresponding shape formed in one of the parts to be locked-togetherand, inconsequence of the rotation which is given to it, becomes engagedina symmetrical housing formed in the other part to be locked, thisother. housing then behaving first like a keeper and then Iikea bolthousing when the rotation is reversed.

According. to one particularly advantageous form of constructiomtwosemi-circular. boltsare fixed together by their diameter when the.partstobe locked are in contact, sothat they constantly complete eachother in this position of theparts.

Other charactetistic features and advantages of the present inventionwill beibrou ghtout. in the description which follows below,lififerencebeing made to the accompanying drawings, i r i which:

FIG. L is a front view of acatch according to the invention in itspositionof complete closure;

FIG. 2 shows a backfview'of two semi-circular bolts shown separatelyantliplaced together along, their diameter; I

FIG. 3 gives a perspective view of two parts intended to be lockedtogether according to the invention, and being brought towards eachother by pivotal movement, the bolts not; being in position;

FIG. 4,shows a front view of the two parts when. they have come intocontact withea'ch other;

5 are brought together due to the meeting of the parts A andB, the twogrooves 6 become joined together as do also the two grooves 7 (see FIG.4).

In the form of construction shown, the parts A and B come into contactwith each other by pivotal movement in the direction of the arrows fi(see FIGS. 3 and 5 Previously, a semi-circular bolt 1 has beenintroduced into each semi-circular housing 5. This introduction iseffected by presenting the bolt laterally to the housing, diameter todiameter, and turning the bolt towards the interior of the housing, insuch manner that the bead 2 passes into the groove 6 and the bead 3 intothe groove 7. Each bolt in this way becomes imprisoned in a. housing,while retaining however one degree of freedom (see arrows A, )3, FIG.6).

When the parts A and B come into contact with each other, the diameter dof the bolts is in the alignment of the edge T of the parts A andB, andno locking action is obtained (see FIG. 6), but as soon as the bolts arerotated, either in the direction of the arrow 1; or in the direction ofthe arrow IS, a locking action is obtained (see FIGS. 6 and 1). In thiscase, the bolt housing downstream of each bolt in progressive movementbecomes a keeper for that bolt.

On itsvisible face, opposite to that carrying the bead 3, each bolt isprovided with anoperating projection 8, in such manner that theoperating projections of the two bolts come together along the line ofcontact so that they can be gripped together.

Each bolt may comprise an extension in the form of a half-mushroom, ofwhich the foot 9, coupled to the back 4 of the bolt, and the flat head10 are respectively received in a semi-circular notch 11 formed in thecentre of the housing 5 and in a semi-circular groove 12 formed in thepart. 5

As may be understood from the preceding description, the rotatable catchaccording to the invention is particularly advantageous due to itssimplicity; two

FIG. 5 is a view sirnilar to FIG. 3, with the bolts placed in position;

FIG. 6 is a viewsimilar to FIG. 4, the two bolts being then associatedtogether by their diameter;

FIG. 7 is a profile view of a bolt.

In the form of construction show, the rotatable catch according to, theinvention comprises two semi-circular identicalbolts 1. Each bolt isthus limited by a halfcircumference c and a diameter d. A head 2 isprovided on the half-circumference and another bead 3 along a circulararc, forms a projection at right angles and lat erally on the back 4 ofthe-bolt. When the two bolts are placed together along their diameter,the two beads 2 become joined together, as dov also the two beads 3.

A semi-circular housing 5 which serves alternately as a bolt housingand, as a keepter is formed in each of the parts A and B which come intocontact so as to be locked together. Each; housing having a shapecorresponding to each of the boltsis hollowed with a groove 6 in orderto receive a bead 210i the bolt; and a groove 7 to receive a bead 3 onthe bolt. When the housings keeper housings 5 and at least one bolt 1enable it to be produced. No pivot is provided so that this simplicityof construction is accompanied by simplicity of mounting and easyoperation free from failure. The housings and bolts may furthermore bemade from plastic materials, the self-lubricating properties of whichare well known, whichfurther facilitates the operation of the catch.

The rotatable catch according to the invention finds an applicationwhenever it is necessary to fasten together two pieces which come intocontact, either by pivoting or by translation or by sliding, of at leastone of these parts. It may be used for the closure of boxes, casings,doors, etc.,and generally for the locking together of all parts coupledtogether or in contact side by side.

A stud 13 may be provided on the periphery of the bead 2 of each bolt soas to become engaged in a double abutement 14 formed in the bottom ofeach groove 6 and thereby producing a certain blocking effect on It willof course be understood that the present invention has only beendescribed and illustrated as a preferred example, and that equivalentsmay be introduced into its constituent parts without thereby departingfrom the scope of the said invention, as defined in the appended claims.

1. A rotatable catch permitting two members coming into contact to belocked with respect to each other, characterized in that it comprises apair of semi-circular bolts each carrying at least two semi-circularbeads, one at the edge of the halfcircumference and the other laterally,a first housing of corresponding shape formed in one of the said membersto be locked together, a second symmetrical housing formed in the otherof said members to be locked, one of said bolts being held imprisonedwith a single degree of freedom in said first housing, the other of saidbolts being coupled together with said one bolt along their diameterswhen said members to be locked together are in contact with said otherof said bolts being held imprisoned with a single degree of freedom atleast partly in said second housing, the said bolts becoming engaged inconsequence of the rotation given to said bolts, in said first andsecond housings which then behave first as a keeper and then as ahousing for the said bolts when the rotation is reversed, the said boltscooperating in such manner as to be constantly completing themselves inlocked condition of the members, said two bolts further comprisingoperating projections which come together along the line of contact ofthe parts so that they can be gripped together.
 2. A rotatable catchpermitting two members coming into contact to be immobilized withrespect to each other, a first housing in one of the said members, asecond housing symmetrically formed in the other of said members, saidrotatable catch including double bolt means simultaneously movable inone of two possible opposite directions, having two beads thereon, andhaving a peripheral half-circumference surface, one of said beads beingformed on said peripheral surface, said bolt means with said beads beingreceived in said housings characterized in that said housings arecup-shaped and outwardly open and that the other of said beads is formedlaterally on said bolt means, said bolt means being semi-circular inshape and coupled together along diameter portions when the said membersto be immobilized are in contact and which constantly completethemselves in this position of said members during their simultaneousmovements, said bolt means comprising operating projections which cometogether along said diameters so that they can be gripped together.